All four were playing for KHL teams at the time; there were multiple reports that they'd gotten godfather offers from the billionaire-backed league, and Ovechkin and Kovalchuk publicly expressed a desire to stick around. The players, as is always the case in labor disputes, had no real leverage—but the KHL threat was as close as they could get. None of the four bit initially, though Kovalchuk, famously, made the move in July.

It has to be noted that Kovalchuk's decision was about more than money, though he's going to make more of it than he would've staying with the New Jersey Devils. He's a hero at home now, even more than before, and he wanted to raise his family there.

That's not the case with Malkin. As noted in a recent story by Rob Rossi of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Malkin's messy exit in 2005—he was strong-armed into signing a new deal, then secretly fled for Pittsburgh—has stuck with him, and he made it a priority to finalize his contract extension with the Penguins before heading back to Magnitogorsk for the offseason.

(Malkin) felt taken advantage of, and he feared for possible repercussions against his parents, Vladimir and Natalia, and brother, Denis. Malkin said he decided then that he would never put himself or his loved ones in a similar situation.

He spent the NHL lockout playing for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and described the experience as “good.” However, he did not enjoy the attention of being one of his country's greatest athletes playing at home, and he also did not favor the challenging travel and outdated practice methods that were part of Russian hockey.

That sentiment extends to another quote Malkin gave to SovSport: "Maybe at some point in my career I will realize it's time to return to Russia. That I am more comfortable here."

So the time may come—but it wasn't in January, and it's not now. Regardless, the KHL factor will continue to grow. And for the record, the current CBA runs out in 2021. Malkin will be 35 years old with one year left on his eight-year, $76 million contract.